Lionel Messi ends Argentina career after 21 years and 208 caps

Lionel Messi has ended his international career, closing a remarkable chapter on 6 October 2026 after 21 years with Argentina.

The Argentina captain finishes with 208 caps and 126 goals, including a collection of spectacular free-kicks against Canada, Ecuador, Panama, Jamaica, Chile, Colombia, the United States, Nigeria and Paraguay.

Messi’s rise began with a significant challenge. During his teenage years at Newell’s Old Boys, Rosario native Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency by Dr Diego Schwarzstein. The condition threatened to prevent him from reaching his potential, while the daily somatotropin injections required to treat it placed a heavy burden on his father’s modest monthly income.

Barcelona eventually agreed to take over the cost of the treatment after sporting director Carles Rexach signed a commitment to bring Messi to Spain on a restaurant napkin. At La Masia, he developed into one of football’s greatest players before producing extraordinary performances for Barcelona and Argentina.

His agility and technique unsettled Bolivia, Chile, Brazil and France, while England avoided facing him at international level. In club football, however, Messi scored 27 goals in 36 matches against English opposition: nine against Arsenal, seven against Manchester City, four against Manchester United, three each against Chelsea and Liverpool, and two against Tottenham Hotspur.

He was also a key figure in Argentina’s most successful recent period. Having lost the 2014 World Cup final, Messi captained his country to the 2022 World Cup. He also won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, and helped Argentina claim the 2022 Finalissima.

His final appearance came in a 3-0 victory over Benin on Tuesday. Messi scored a penalty, but was also sent off 47 seconds after coming on as a substitute.

Messi’s successor?

Attention will now turn to which player might become Argentina’s next great attacking star. Nicolas Paz, who scored in the win over Benin, is one possible candidate.

Before Messi, Argentina had searched for the player capable of following Diego Maradona. Ariel Ortega, Pablo Aimar and Juan Roman Riquelme were among those given the “new Maradona” label, but the weight of expectation proved difficult to carry.

Messi ultimately surpassed those comparisons, winning admiration for the way he combined individual brilliance with an ability to elevate club and country.

The debate over whether Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest of all time is likely to continue, but both have qualities that set them apart. Their shared traits are their determination and their capacity to lift teams to exceptional levels.

As Franklin Roosevelt put it: “Comparison is a thief of joy.” For many, Messi remains a defining figure in the history of the beautiful game, leaving behind a lifetime of unforgettable memories.